Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-10-14

touching his horse lightly he gal
loped away.
But alas, how uncertain is life
Ere the set OF sun the gallant Col.
onel was no more, aud Allen Kerr
was robbed Of bis revenge.
He died like the hero be was,
"With bis back to the field and his
feet to the foe"
Our brigade was ordered into ac-
ton almost immediately after his
conversation with Kerr, and in the
front ranks, encouraging his men
by word and action he fell, as did
many another brave commander on
that fatal day, to rise no more.
In this same engagement | had
the misfortune to be wounded, and
consequently was taken prisoner
and conveyed to a rebel hospital.
Here / was kindly cared for by the
female nurses, one of whom was
especially kind to me. She inter-
ested me greatly, and day by day
my interest in her seemed to in
crease.
Slight of figure, she moved about
from one poor helpless unfortunate
to another with noiseless tread like
visiting angel.
Was it Imagination that caused
me to fancy that she fingered at my
bedside and that her liquid eyes
grew more sympathetic as she
gazed down upon met
Before had been an inmate OF
the hospital for a week l realized
that l was desperately in love with
the little rebel maiden, an occur
renee not altogether unpleasant to
me, and possibly not to her.
AS l sat one day engaged in
watching my fair nurse, | sudden
" became possessed of the idea
that we had met before. But if so,
where?
This | could not answer, and l
dismissed it from my mind, only,
however, to have it recur again.
At last, unable longer to restrain
myself, / said
ave have met before, and you
know it. Where l know not. Fer
DAYS have tried to conjecture"
"You are right; | am Edward
Alton. You once arrested me for
spy"
81 recognize you nOw," l replied
81 escaped, you remember; how,
was a mystery. But withal a sim
pie one, seeing that your cOmman-
der was my father" Here she
turned aside and tears streamed
down her fair cheeks at the thought
of the loss of her only shield and
protector.
All through the remaining years
of the war I never lost sight of my
fair nurse, and at its close l sought
her out among the hills OF Georgia.
l proposed marriage, told her OF
my history and prospects, both OF
which we're good.
To my great JOY l found my case
was not a hopeless one.
In the years OF our married life
/ heard from the lips of my wife,
whose true christian name was Kit
ty Edwards, the fate of Allen Kerr.
Angered at beng deprived by
the death OF Col. Edwards Of his
only hope of winning Kitty for his
own, he plunged into the wild dis
sipatlon Of camp life, and, losing
all his money by gambling, was
driyen to suicide by remOrse and
despair, and found a grave beneath
the waters of the James.
"But what caused the difference
of sentiment between you and your
father n | asked.
"He had been educated at West
Point" she replied "was an adopt
ed child of bis country; then came
the call to arms; his allegiance to
his country rose higher than his
love for his state, and he espoused
the Union cause.
GAS for me, / was a fiery little
SOutherner, and refused to be IN
fluenced by my fathers wishes
Eager TO aid, in any way possible,
my friends in the field, drifted in
to the service, first as a spy, and
afterwards as nurse in the hos
pital. Of this latter fact you may
have some personal knowledge"
she added, playfully, "for it was
while there l met, but not for the
first time, a Yankee Lieutenant
suspiciousIy like YOURSELF" and she
raised her hands in much serious.
ness, and I clasp in loving way the
slender wrists on which | once
placed the glittering handouts.
cInnlna eehanI nnursehIn